1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates to cosmetic containers for storing cosmetics, such as lipstick, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known cosmetic container includes a cap that is fit externally to cover an upper end of a container body in which a cosmetic is stored. The container may be stowed in a case, such as a cosmetic bag, etc., with the cap in a fully covering posture. However, a load may act on the case and may cause the case to bend. Thus, the full covering by the cap is undone, and in a worst case, the cap becomes detached inadvertently from the container body.
Japanese Patent No. 3153992 discloses an arrangement to avoid the above-described problem. More particularly, Japanese Patent No. 3153992 shows a thick-walled portion formed on an inner cap and a rib formed on an outer circumferential surface of an upper end of a container body. The thick-walled portion passes over the rib when the cap fully covers the upper portion of the container body. Motion resistance is provided to prevent detachment, provide stability in the covered state, and enable recognition of the cap being in the completely covered condition.
With the above arrangement of Japanese Patent No. 3153992, the upper end of the container body becomes exposed when the cap is removed, and the rib on the outer circumferential surface of the upper end of the container body is made visibly recognizable by the exposure. This is unfavorable in terms of appearance and lacking in high-class touch because grime, etc., is readily retained at the vicinity of the rib.
The cap of Japanese Patent No. 3153992 must be pressed toward the container body until the thick-walled portion of the inner cap passes over the rib formed on the upper portion of the container body to put the cap in the completely covered condition. However, the passing over of the rib is not achieved if the pressing force is weakened in the middle. The storage state of the cosmetic degrades if the container is left in such a halfway covering posture. Additionally, the cap may be removed inadvertently thereby causing dirt to be attached to the cosmetic and causing the cosmetic to be attached on other contents of the case if the container is put in a case such as a makeup bag in this state.
To resolve the above-described problem, an arrangement may be considered where magnets are disposed respectively along entire circumferences of portions of a cap and a container body that are put in contact in a completely covered condition in such a manner that mutually different magnetic poles oppose each other. Thus, the magnets will be attached magnetically to each other and will maintain the cap in a covering posture with respect to the container body. However in this case, an entire circumference is of the same magnetic pole. Hence, position setting of the cap in a circumferential direction with respect to the container body cannot be performed in the covering posture. This arrangement cannot be employed in a container that requires such position setting (for example, in a container with which trademarks drawn respectively on the cap and the container body are to be matched with each other). A process of removing such a cap that is in the covering posture requires a strong pulling operation in a direction that opposes a direction in which magnetic lines act most strongly to sever the magnetic attractive force. Such a container generally is used by women who may have difficulty exerting the force for removal of the cap.
FIG. 15 proposes that magnets 20 and 21, with contacting portions being N and S poles, respectively, be disposed opposite each other in a mutually-spaced, dotted manner in a cap 11 and magnets 22 and 23, with contacting portions being S and N poles, respectively, be disposed in likewise manner in a container body 1. In covering with the cap 11, the N and S magnets 20 and 21 of the cap 11 and the S and N magnets 22 and 23 of the container body 1 are made to be magnetically attached to each other.
The magnets will attract each other and will enable correct covering to be achieved even if the magnets 20 and 22 and magnets 21 and 23 of mutually different poles are shifted slightly in the circumferential direction. However, the magnets of different poles may not attract each other if covering is performed with the magnets shifted a large amount in the circumferential direction. In this case, covering by magnetic attachment cannot be performed and the cap 11 is detached easily. The number of magnets may be increased to resolve this problem, but this leads to an increased number of parts and causes assembly to be troublesome and complicated.
In a case where magnets of different poles are disposed in a dotted manner, the cap is removed by turning the cap in the circumferential direction with respect to the container body to turningly sever magnetic lines in the most strongly acting directions. This enables a removal operation that is easy in comparison to the removal operation of the above-described arrangement in which a magnet of the same pole is disposed along an entire circumference. The cap cannot be removed smoothly with the arrangement where a magnet of the same pole is disposed along an entire circumference because a jolt-like response that causes an odd sensation occurs due to the magnetic lines in the most strongly acting directions being turningly severed, and herein lies the problem to be solved by the present invention.